EFFECT OF CHILD ABUSE ON MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

1.1 Introduction

Child abuse refers to the maltreatment of a kid or children, whether it be by a parent or other care giver, and can include physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse. Any action or inaction on the part of a parent that causes real or prospective harm to a kid is considered child abuse. This can happen in the child's home as well as in the settings of organisations, schools, or communities where the child is exposed. Mental health is known as a positive source contributing to overall development individually, socially, and economically. Academic achievement is related to performance outcomes that indicate the performance graph of students specifically in school, college, and university. Better mental health in students is reflected by healthy family organisation, good community, and better school environment.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

In recent years, issues related to mental health are often propaganda in mass media not only in a country and even around the world. Mental health is a way of thinking, feeling and behaviour in a person's daily lives. Regular mental health issues seen among school understudies fuse low certainty, distress, uneasiness, self-mutilation, and inconsequential, indiscreet, and careless practices (Cook et al., 2007; Tayama et al., 2019). Excessive and prolonged stress can be harmful to students’ academic performance and physical and psychological well-being (Beiter et al., 2015).

Students who perceive high levels of stress may often become depressed. Students suffering from anxiety and depression may also be at risk of poor academic performance. Likewise, data from the American College Health Association (2013) reveal that high levels of stress among students interfere with the academic performance and achievements. Conversely, Stupnisky et al., (2013) stated that students who exhibit a low level of stress do well academically. During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, the failure to use adaptive coping strategies may further result in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Despite the fact that numerous countries have laws and constitutions that recognise and, in some cases, defend children's rights, child abuse is quickly spreading throughout today's communities. Child abuse may have a significant financial impact on Nigerian schools and the pupils that attend them. According to Fleischinger, Kramer, Hoven, and Greenwald (2007), even conservative estimates indicate that at least 8% of American children undergo sexual abuse before the age of 18, in addition to 17% experiencing physical abuse and 18% experiencing physical neglect.

Gelles, (2007) affirmed that child abuse include not only physical assault but also malnourishment, abandonment, neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. According to Mba (2002), prominent form of child abuse in Nigeria are child battering, child labour, child abandonment, neglect, teenage prostitution, early marriage and forced marriage. Kolander (2000) stated that emotional and sexual abuses are highly noticeable in Nigeria. Oji (2006) observed that babies born by teenage mothers in Nigeria were 625,024 as at the reporting time.

According to Walsh (2005), unwanted pregnancy has been identified to be a major cause of child abuse in Nigeria. Many abused children were unwanted in the first place and turned out to be a severe burden on their emotionally immature or impoverished parents. Odey (2003) stated that children from poor homes are more vulnerable to abuse and Todd,(2004) in his support said that Nigeria, which is are known corrupt nation in Africa is heading towards a dangerous poverty where her teeming population does not have enough food for healthy living. Oluwole (2002) equally lamented when analyzing the situation of children which are being used for house helps.

Child labour is the major obstacles to the achievement of education for all (EFA) and this result into a setback on the achievement of the world target of universal primary education by 2015. According to Onye (2004), child abuse is an evidence of poverty. Aderinto and Okunola (2008) equally recorded that some children reported that they were pushed into street hawking for maintenance needs of the family. That means that they are the breadwinners of their various families at their early age. It is a common sight in major parks and streets in Nigeria to see children of school age between 6-16 years as bus/taxi mates, hawking wares, pushing trucks for money or begging for money when they are supposed to in the classroom learning in the schools. All these point to the fact that the worst hit groups are children who are at the risk of diseases, exploitation, neglect and violence.

Furthermore, the existing body of research demonstrating the association between maltreatment during childhood and poorer academic achievement does not extend well to older students in middle and high school, as well as to students who have not yet been classified as emergency room patients. For there to be proof of effects on educational achievement in the general education population and on adult economic outcomes, there must be proof of the effects of abuse on academic performance in the population of middle and high school children. Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effect of Child Abuse on Mental Health of School Aged Children.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the school can do a lot of things about child abuse since it has a way of affecting the school system. The problem of child abuse have long been existing in Nigeria, and have even become more even devastating to the society has whole. That history of child abuse is as old as the persistence of the phenomenon in Nigeria itself cannot be overemphasized. Children suffered all forms of abuse ranging from child battering, child labour, child abandonment, neglect, teenage prostitution, early marriage and forced marriage. And in most cases, the parents are even at the centre of the root cause of all these social maltreatment (Grill, 2009).

Increasing interest in positive psychology and the factors that constitute wellness fit well with this type of prevention agenda, but comprehensive models describing the psychological resources that protect college students from anxiety and depression are lacking (Dahlin et al., 2005). Adlaf et al. (2001) found a prominent inverse relationship between year of study and mental health in university students, those at greatest risk being first-year students.

Psychological morbidity in undergraduate students represents a neglected public health problem and holds major implications for campus health services and mental policy-making (Poch et al., 2004; Stewart- Brown et al., 2000). In terms of life quality, understanding the impact of this neglected public health phenomenon on one’s educational attainment and prospective occupational success is very important.

Furthermore, there is undocumented high level of mental health illiteracy and lack of awareness concerning mental health issues among the students in which they prefer traditional medication as opposed to the hospital when treating mental disorders. This has led to the loss of many lives of the patients, escalation of the symptoms while others are taken to the hospital when it is already too late, being left to loiter in the world without anyone to take care of them or being chained in their homes to prevent harm and attacks.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Effect of Child Abuse on Mental Health of School Aged Children in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the prevalence of mental health issues among abused school aged children in the study area;
2. To identify the ways in which abused school aged children utilize in stabilizing their mental health;
3. To determine the effect of child abuse on child’s educational performance in the study area; and
4. To find out the impact of mental health issues on the academic performance of abused school aged children.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What is the prevalence of mental health issues among abused school aged children in the study area?
• What are the ways in which abused school aged children utilize in stabilizing their mental health?
• What is the effect of child abuse on child’s educational performance in the study area?
• What is the impact of mental health issues on the academic performance of abused school aged children?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is low prevalence of mental health issues among abused School Aged Children in the area under study
• H1: There is high prevalence of mental health issues among abused School Aged Children in the area under study

Hypothesis Two

• H0: Child abuse has no significant effect on School Aged Children’s’ mental health in the area under study
• H1: Child abuse has significant effect on School Aged Children’s’ mental health in the area under study

1.7 Significance of Study

The outcome of the research findings will immensely benefit parents, guardians, teachers, school heads and all other stakeholders in the educational sector, as they will be better enlightened on the problems associated with child abuse. Such knowledge may curtail any further action of exploiting the child especially been used as object of raising family economy.

It will also provide parents and school administrators with an insight into how much damage child abuse and especially hawking after school can have on the academic development of student in general.

Furthermore, this study will aid the policymakers to formulate better responsive policies that will enable adequate budget allocation, proper staffing and procurement of medical equipment, medical supplies, and school community sensitization.

Finally, this study highlights on the mental health epidemic among the school aged children, emphasizing on the data (knowledge, attitudes and practices for caregivers, traditional healers and health service providers) for further studies in this area.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Effect of Child Abuse on Mental Health of School Aged Children in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent Power Failure:This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
5. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Mental Health:

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

Child Abuse:

Harsh or ill treatment melted on any child; it could be by physical pr emotional means.